Wakering and
Barling First Responders are volunteers who are trained by Essex Ambulance
to attend emergency calls and provide care until the Ambulance arrives.
We do not replace the Ambulance Service. We are trained to apply time
critical life-saving techniques that maximize the chance of the casualty's
survival.

The First Responder is equipped
with a Semi-Automatic Defibrillator, a cylinder of Oxygen and a basic
first aid kit.

Each volunteer informs the
group coordinator of times when they are available to be on duty. A
rota is then generated and distributed to the group each month. At the
start of each period of duty the equipment is delivered by the First
Responder who has just completed their duty period. The First Responder
now on duty will continue with their daily routines. At night they may
well go to bed. They will, of course, always have the emergency phone
near by.

If someone in the villages
of Wakering and Barling then has a medical emergency they will dial
999 and be put through to the Ambulance Service. Ambulance Control will
immediately dispatch the nearest available Ambulance and if necessary
a Paramedic. If the casualty is suffering cardiac arrest, chest pain,
breathing problems or is unconscious then the Ambulance Controller also
calls the local First Responder.

The First Responder immediately
attends the address of the casualty and apply the appropriate procedure,
as per their training, until the ambulance arrives. These few minutes
can make the difference between life and death. They then hand over
to the Ambulance crew and leave.

At the end of the duty period
the First Responder takes the equipment to the First Responder who is
due to cover the next duty period.

First Responders come from all walks of life. Ordinary members the public who want to put something
back into the community.